Hot and Sour Sweet Potato Noodles is a classic street food from Sichuan and Chongqing. The sweet potato noodles are slippery and chewy, and the broth is tangy, spicy, and savory. Topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro, one bite delivers the perfect balance of sour, spicy, fresh, and fragrant flavors. It’s actually easy to make at home—the key is the broth and the chili oil. Master this, and it will taste even better than the street vendors’!
Prep time: 40 minutes (mostly for soaking) | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 2
🌴 Ingredients:
· Sweet potato noodles, 150g (about 5.3 oz; look for wide or thin sweet potato vermicelli/glass noodles in packages, not the starchy powder; wide or thin noodles both work)
🌴 Toppings:
· Peanuts, a small handful (about 30g; fried or store-bought, crushed)
· Cilantro, 1–2 sprigs (about 10g; chopped)
· Scallion, 1 (about 15g; chopped, divided into two portions)
· Minced garlic, 3–4 cloves (about 15g)
· Pickled mustard tuber (Zha cai), 1 tsp (about 5g; optional)
🌴 For the Broth:
· Light soy sauce, 2 tbsp (about 30ml)
· Chinkiang vinegar, 3–3½ tbsp (about 45–50ml; the main source of sourness, add up to 4 tbsp if you like it extra sour)
· Chili oil, 2 tbsp (about 30ml; reserve ½ tbsp for the final drizzle)
· Sichuan peppercorn powder, ½ tsp (about 1.5g; use half in the broth, half for the final sprinkle)
· Sugar, ½ tsp (about 2.5g; reduce to ⅓ tsp if you prefer less sweet)
· Oyster sauce, ½ tsp (about 2.5g; optional, for umami)
· Salt, none or to taste at the end
· Chicken bouillon or MSG, a pinch (about 0.5g; optional)
· Hot stock or boiling water, 1 large bowl (about 400ml / 1⅔ cups)
All spoon measures are level. Chinkiang vinegar is slightly sweet and malty—use it as listed for the best flavor.
🌴 Instructions:
- Soak the Noodles
Soak the sweet potato noodles in warm water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until they bend but still have some chew. Rinse them well, and drain until they stop dripping. If the noodles are very long, cut them in half. ⚠️ Tip: Don’t use boiling water to soak them, or they’ll turn mushy. Soak just until they bend but still have a bite. Drain thoroughly so they don’t stick together and the broth doesn’t get cloudy. - Prepare the Toppings
Fry the peanuts or use store-bought ones, and crush them slightly. Chop the cilantro, chop the scallion (reserve a little for the final garnish), mince the garlic, and finely chop the pickled mustard tuber. ⚠️ Tip: Crushed peanuts are more fragrant than whole ones and cling to the noodles better. Split the scallions into two batches—one for flavoring the broth, the other for the final garnish. - Make the Broth Base
In a serving bowl, add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 3–3½ tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, 1½ tbsp chili oil, half the Sichuan peppercorn powder, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp oyster sauce, a pinch of chicken bouillon, the minced garlic, and some chopped scallion. First, pour 2 tbsp of hot stock or boiling water over the garlic and seasonings to activate their aroma, then pour in the remaining hot stock. Stir well. ⚠️ Tip: Pouring hot liquid over the minced garlic first releases its aroma. Make sure your serving bowl is heatproof before pouring in the boiling hot stock. Hold off on the salt—the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pickles are all salty. Taste first, then add if needed. Reserve ½ tbsp of chili oil for the final drizzle. - Boil the Noodles
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the soaked sweet potato noodles and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the noodles are translucent and can be easily snapped with chopsticks. Remove, drain well, and place them into the bowl with the broth. If you prefer a bouncier texture, rinse them in cold boiled water before adding. ⚠️ Tip: Remove them as soon as they turn translucent and can be snapped—overcooking makes them mushy. Don’t add the noodle-cooking water to the broth, or it will turn cloudy. Rinsing in cold water makes them extra slippery and chewy, but skip it if you prefer your broth piping hot. - Add the Toppings
Top the noodles with the pickled mustard tuber, crushed peanuts, the remaining scallion, and cilantro. Drizzle with the reserved ½ tbsp chili oil and sprinkle with the remaining Sichuan peppercorn powder. ⚠️ Tip: Add the pickles first so they release their flavor into the broth. Add the peanuts last to keep them crunchy. Drizzling the chili oil and sprinkling the peppercorn powder at the very end gives the most intense aroma when served. - Mix and Enjoy
Mix everything well before eating, so the noodles are coated in the tangy and spicy broth. Slurp it while it’s hot—it’s incredibly satisfying!
💡 Tips:
Soak the sweet potato noodles in warm water until they bend but still have a bite, and drain them completely. Don’t use the noodle-cooking water for the broth. Pour hot stock over the minced garlic first to release its aroma, and make sure your bowl is heatproof. Hold off on the salt and taste first—the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pickles are already salty. Adjust the vinegar and chili oil to your taste. Boil the noodles just until translucent and snappable, and rinse in cold water for extra chew if desired. Add the pickles first and the crushed peanuts last for maximum crunch. Reserve some chili oil and peppercorn powder for the final drizzle and sprinkle. You can also add greens, a fried egg, or luncheon meat to make it a complete meal—a bowl of tangy, spicy, and utterly addictive noodles!
This Hot and Sour Sweet Potato Noodles is incredibly tangy and spicy, with silky, chewy noodles—a super popular Chinese street food. If you like noodle dishes like this, you can also try my previously posted Soy Sauce Egg Fried Rice (Soy Sauce Egg Fried Rice) for another satisfying meal. For more noodles and dim sum recipes, check out my Rice, Noodles & Dim Sum (Rice, Noodles & Dim Sum) category!
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